Burnt Road: Dante

by Neal, Toby

  “What happened?”

  “You really want to know?”

  “Yes, I want to know everything about you.”

  Melody sighed. “Even the bad stuff.”

  “Especially the bad stuff.”

  She snuggled closer, her body relaxing again. He had done the right thing, asking her.

  “His name was Brian. We went to high school together. He was very popular. His parents were powerful.” Melody shifted, tucking her head under Dante’s chin, her breath on his chest. “He put a drug in my drink. My memories are hazy but I do know that I tried to stop him.” Her voice grew quiet, so soft that Dante had to lean closer to hear her. “But I couldn’t, I was so weak.” Tears strained her voice and Dante tightened his grip on her. “I tried to scratch his face but could hardly lift my arms. There wasn’t even skin under my nails afterward.” She wriggled closer, and Dante kissed her head.

  “Go on.”

  “He drove me home afterwards, and kissed me on the porch. When I stumbled in the front door and retched in the powder room, my parents thought I was drunk. I actually tried to convince myself that I drank too much and made a mistake. It wasn’t until he tried with my friend, and she killed him, that I admitted what happened; Brian drugged and raped me.” Melody’s voice was growing stronger, angry almost. “I should have gone to the police right away, gotten a rape kit, and fought to have him locked up. Even if it was his word against mine and the police refused to prosecute, I could have warned other women to avoid him. But I didn’t. I buried my head in the sand.” Her voice faltered. “I remembered flashes of him on top of me,” Melody’s voice was quiet and stark. She sounded like someone else. “I just hid away and fought the memories: the pain of him inside of me, the sound of his grunts, his hands and mouth on me.” She started to cry.

  “I’m sorry,” Dante whispered into her hair, his chest constricted by the pain radiating off of her. “I’m so sorry.”

  Melody sniffled and wiped at her face, staying close. “Really, I’m okay. I’m fine.”

  “You’re better than fine, Melody. You’re incredible: strong, brave, gorgeous and smart.” Dante bit his lip to stop himself from continuing. He didn’t want to come on too strong and scare her away.

  Melody turned in his arms to look up at him, those cat eyes shiny with tears. “Thank you.” She leaned up and kissed him, her lips soft and salty. He shook with the effort not to crush her to him. Dante needed to be careful, to treat her gently. She broke the kiss and settled back onto his chest.

  Maybe Melody would let him be her boyfriend. But it was too soon to hope for that. He needed to keep himself in check or he’d scare her away. He should ask her another question, change the topic, show her that he was interested in every aspect of her. “Tell me about your family.”

  “Well, there’s not much to my family.” There was sadness in Melody’s voice, and she bent her head and petted the puppies. “I’m an only child. My dad died after my parents divorced when I was a teenager. There’s only my mom. We’re close, and I’m glad she’s safe right now. I hope she is, anyway. She’s on a river cruise in Europe. My other family member is my best friend, Elizabeth. She is traveling with your brother, JT, right now to Washington, DC. We are both only children, and we decided to be each other’s sisters early on.”

  “That’s nice that you have such a close friend.”

  Melody’s laugh was soft and Dante remembered that she said she laughed when she was happy. He was saying all the right things for once, and he loved hearing about her and getting to know her better.

  “I’m sad that Elizabeth won’t be joining us at the Haven.”

  “Then I am, too. I want you to be happy.” Dante tried to imagine not having his brothers and sister.

  “That’s sweet. Will it be weird, living with your family?”

  “I think that everything about the future will be strange. I did not expect to meet you and to have this…” Dante cut himself off, not wanting to say too much. He was getting good at this.

  Melody nuzzled closer, her voice getting sleepy. “I didn’t expect you, either. You make me feel safe, Dante. Thank you.”

  Dante’s chest swelled with pride. He would do anything to keep Melody safe. Anything.

  Chapter Ten

  Melody

  Melody must’ve fallen asleep because when the puppies’ sharp barks woke her, the moon was a sliver of white right above them, and the fire a pile of cold, gray ash.

  Dante’s body was rigid with attention, his gaze directed back toward where they’d parked the Bronco in the dirt lot, stress evident in the bunching of his jaw, gilded with light from the moon.

  They’d fallen asleep in one of the campsites, hidden from the lot by a grove of mesquite trees. They’d intended to return to the truck, but had just been so warm and cozy snuggling in the sleeping bag that they hadn’t bothered. Melody blinked a few times, dispelling the haze of sleepy pleasure, as she turned to look in the direction that Dante stared.

  The Bronco’s lights were on and the engine was running.

  Melody’s heart rate spiked as adrenaline flooded her system.

  Dante reached over and patted the yapping puppies. “They need to be quiet,” he whispered. Melody gathered them close, cooing to calm them, snuggling deep in the sleeping bag to muffle their sounds. Barkley struggled to get out of her arms, determined to go fight whoever was stealing the Bronco.

  Dante rose to a crouch, holding his pistol pointed at the ground. He raised his hand signaling for her to stay put, and ran, shirtless and barefooted, towards the shrubbery screening them from the Bronco.

  “Dante!” she whisper-yelled, terrified for him, but he kept going, disappearing into the night.

  Melody shivered as she leashed the puppies. It was cold and terrifying here without Dante’s warm body next to her. She crawled out of the sleeping bag and her gaze raked over the campsite. They’d brought their packs with them, and there was a knife in Dante’s bag. She pulled it out, the blade glinting in the starlight.

  What was his plan? Why risk a fight?

  She waited, her body tense, tightly gripping the knife. Her knees were bent, trying to be ready for whatever might come. If something happened to Dante, she’d take the puppies and just sprint. Staying to fight whoever was stealing their vehicle was a bad idea.

  Why hadn’t Dante talked to her first? He’d just left without a word.

  It reminded her of the fear of watching him scale that big boulder without a word when the Escalade was ambushed. The chill night cut through Melody’s T-shirt and yoga pants, raising goose bumps. The Bronco’s headlights retreated as the vehicle backed up.

  Where was Dante?

  The truck turned around, the white reverse lights flaring against the rocks, and then it rumbled away, illumination from the headlights dimming.

  She hadn’t heard any fighting, yelling, scuffle, or gunfire. The metallic tang of blood bloomed in her mouth. She’d been chewing on her lip too hard. Taking a deep breath in through her nose, Melody released it slowly through her mouth. Barkley began to yap again.

  Dante emerged from the shadows, his bare skin pale in the low light.

  “Our vehicle has been stolen.”

  “Why did you leave me?” It burst out of her like an explosion from her chest.

  She took two steps forward, holding the knife at her side, trembling. Dante’s gaze was drawn to the blade and Melody dropped it with a soft thunk into the dirt. Her eyes burned, adrenaline and shock radiating through her body.

  “I would never leave you.”

  “You did. You just left me. You didn’t ask if you should go. You just went.” Her chin trembled and hot tears burned her cold cheeks.

  Dante just stood there. He should wrap his arms around her and tell her everything was okay. But he just stood there like a statue, staring at her shoulder, not even making eye contact!

  Melody turned away and took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to get herself under control. It was
all just too much. Everything that was happening: the ravaging disease, the darkness of humanity. Even the way she felt in Dante’s arms: cherished and explored and unique and special, all the ways she’d always wanted to feel, and never had.

  And then only minutes later, she ran into his limitations again. That was going to keep happening.

  It was too much. It was all too much.

  Dante kept his distance, standing too still. He was made of stone.

  Wasn’t there a superhero made of rocks? One of the Fantastic Four?

  “We still have our packs,” Dante’s voice had gone monotone, the way it did when he knew Melody was upset with him. “This will delay us. We have lost many of our supplies. But I think that we will be okay.”

  Melody hiccupped a laugh. It was close to what she wanted from him.

  He had told her what he was capable of and shared with her about the doctor’s diagnosis. Why did she keep being surprised when he disappointed her? Because there was more to him.

  When Melody was in Dante’s arms, she knew there was so much more to him than cold, logical Spock.

  Melody turned back to him, forcing a smile. “Yes, you’re right. We’ll be okay.”

  “May I touch you?”

  Melody nodded, tears burning her eyes, her throat too tight to respond. He lifted her off the ground, squeezing tight, one hand on her back, the other tangling in her hair. She wrapped her arms around his neck and lay her cheek against his, breathing in his scent; fresh water, soap, and man.

  He’d shaved.

  Dante must’ve gotten up after she’d fallen asleep and shaved.

  “I am sorry that I lost our vehicle. I’m sorry that I made you sad.”

  She shook her head against him. “No, I’m sorry. I just got scared.”

  “I get scared sometimes, too.”

  She nodded, tears still streaking down her face. “We all get scared.”

  “We should try to rest more. In the morning we can find new transportation.”

  Melody nodded again.

  “May I pleasure you before we sleep? I think it would help us rest.”

  Melody laughed even as a rush of heat dampened her. Dante looked down at her face, his eyebrows scrunched. “Why is that funny?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think I can explain it. But the answer is yes, you may pleasure me again.”

  He smiled and it made her heart beat even harder. Where did this guy come from?

  Oh yeah, her best friend sent him to her. He was a gift from the woman she considered a sister.

  Dante’s mouth covered Melody’s in a deep, hungry kiss as he picked her up, carrying her back to the sleeping bag, and shooing the puppies off of it. He lowered himself and lay her down as carefully as a porcelain doll, but his hands and mouth were hungry and rough. It was the perfect combination and exactly what Melody needed: the hard touch of a man who wanted her, combined with the careful attention of her tender Dante.

  His fingers found the waistband of her yoga pants and he pulled them off, following the pants’ downward journey with his lips. Dante paused, looking up at her. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.” His eyes found hers, dark amber in the moonlight. “Thank you.”

  “I love it when a man thanks me for letting him go down on me,” Melody was incapable of keeping the grin off her face. “Not that it’s ever happened before.”

  Here she was, in the middle of the desert, her ride gone, a horrible disease ravaging the nation, and Melody couldn’t stop smiling.

  She didn’t have to push that thought away because Dante’s touch wiped it from her consciousness. And then all she could do was feel: his hands, his tongue, his earnestness. She reminded him what she liked, encouraging him with sounds; moaning and sucking in her breath when he found the perfect spot, just the right rhythm. Her eyes opened wide, taking in the starry sky, boundless space above her. She was rooted to the ground and still soaring.

  Melody was just vibrating atoms, singing a song of pure pleasure as she came, her breath leaving, her mind empty, everything gone but the long endless pulsing waves of now.

  * * *

  They woke again as the sun rose over the canyon. Melody shifted so that her chin rested on Dante’s chest and she could look up at him. He was still asleep, his face relaxed, curls mussed and tangled like a shiny halo of darkness.

  Damn if the man didn’t look like an angel.

  He was irresistible, and he was all hers. She stroked his muscled chest softly, letting her fingers linger over the small patch of hair. Unable to help herself, she leaned down and drew his flat brown nipple into her mouth.

  That woke him up.

  Dante sucked in a breath. His eyes flew open, exposing his beautiful golden irises. Would she ever get enough of feasting her gaze on him? His hands grasped her shoulders, digging in deep.

  Melody needed to take him in her mouth again. She wanted to work up to the main event, savor the anticipation for both of them, keep up his instruction. And they needed to find some protection for that final adventure.

  She was smiling again.

  Melody slowly moved down, kissing his ribs as goose bumps spread across his skin. He groaned, his grip tightening on her shoulders. She kissed his belly and traced the line of his cut ab muscles with her tongue. Dante’s hands left her shoulders and tangled into her hair, wrapping it around his fingers.

  But it wasn’t that he was trying to control her. He was trying to control himself. With just one little touch, just the slightest breath, Melody could make him explode.

  The power of ruling this logical, capable, brave and brilliant man with her lips, fingers and tongue was heady. Even as she drank in his textures, tastes and scent, Melody also knew it was dangerous, but that just made it hotter.

  She gripped him tightly and tasted the saltiness of ocean waves.

  Melody looked up at Dante as she held him in her mouth. He was staring down at her, and as their eyes connected he came. His mouth opened in a soundless cry and his entire body arched and convulsed, but he held her gaze. He was totally exposed, totally trusting, totally hers.

  It was so hard for him to make eye contact, and to do it at such a vulnerable moment? She was moved. It was over too quickly, but he would learn more control. She would teach him, and in time they would be perfect together.

  Melody sat up, confused. Perfect together? What a strange idea. What a secretly wonderful idea, to think that she could find a perfect person, that she could find a match.

  Dante’s eyes closed. His breath hitched and finally fell into a rhythm as he relaxed, reaching for her. She moved up alongside of him and snuggled as he pressed her close. Just looking at him filled her aesthetic sense with joy.

  Was he the one for her? The one she’d never even believed in, never admitted she was looking for?

  Melody had always chastised Elizabeth to have more fun, to get out there and enjoy her body, and all the amazing things it was capable of—mainly yoga and dance and surfing and sex. But there was more. She was capable of more: a deep emotion, a loving connection.

  All the times Melody had played the role of a woman falling in love, she’d never believed it was real or that it could happen to her.

  She turned away from Dante and stood up.

  He was very dangerous to her hard-won independence.

  She’d wanted to get to know Dante, to understand him and unravel him, to have sex with him because it was fun and he was beautiful and it was a great distraction and tension reliever from all they were going through.

  But there was something new churning her guts. She didn’t know what it was—something not dark at all but pure and good.

  She shook her head, pushing the feeling away.

  She couldn’t be falling in love. That was crazy.

  “We should really figure out how to get going. The day is starting and it’s only going to get hotter. It’s still a long way to Idaho.”

  Oh my God, what was going to happen in Idaho?


  Melody was basically moving in with this guy. She’d never even dated a man for more than a year, had always cut it off before anything got too serious. She was a career woman, not looking to settle down.

  “I’m going to do some yoga. You should clean up and pack. And then we’ll go.”

  Dante stared up at her, his eyes glassy with the aftermath of pleasure. “I would like to try again.” He reached for her. “For you.”

  Heat bloomed under his gaze. Dante would happily stay here having sex until they both starved, from the look on his face, but Melody shook her head. “Right now, I need to exercise.”

  “Sex is good exercise.” Dante rested on one elbow, looking up at her. “Good for abdominals, thighs, and back. Great for stress reduction. Maybe even a little cardio, but probably not significant.”

  Melody laughed. This guy.

  Even as she tried to leave him, back away just a little, he said something that made her want to hop back into his arms and explore some more. She could show him some cardio!

  But they needed to keep moving. Clearly, this camp wasn’t safe, and they needed to get to where it was safe.

  “But if you want to exercise, we can do that instead.”

  Dante rolled onto his hands and knees then went into plank position. He hovered there for a moment, naked, his muscles on full display, his arms tense, chiseled back in sharp relief as he lowered into a push-up. He pumped out ten by the time she sucked in a breath.

  Holy crap. This was getting way too hot.

  Melody moved off, heading further down the path. She’d find another spot for her workout before he got her back into that sleeping bag. The path turned, and she spotted a flash of blue, a tent. Melody froze, fear tingling up her spine.

  “Dante!”

  He was by her side shortly, the puppies in his arms, the pistol in his grip. Thankfully, his jeans were back on. He handed her the dogs, keeping his attention on the tent. “Go back to the campsite and I will take a look.” His eyes flicked to her. “Okay?”